Dragonborn: Hero of Skyrim
by MidnightEmerald16
Summary: Phoenix returns to her homeland after years of living in Cyrodill, only to end up in a death sentence. After escaping from a dragon attack that subsequently keeps her from execution, she goes to Whiterun to get help for Riverwood where the dragon is supposedly heading. There, she discovers something about herself that will change her fate and her life forever. I don't own anything
1. Welcome to Skyrim, now die

"_Ugh, my head… where…where am I?" _ She thought to myself

She looked up to see a blond and two brown-haired Nord men all bound at the wrists, like her, except the brown-haired Nord beside her was also gagged. The blond haired Nord was looking down the road when she realized that they were in a cart.

"_What am I doing here? Last thing I remember, I was about to cross the border back into Skyrim. I had heard a twig snap, but before I could turn to look, everything went black. Ugh!, oh my head hurts badly. I'm guessing I was attacked from behind. But where are we heading?" _She thought

She look over at the blond haired Nord and saw he was wearing some sort of blue armor that looked really familiar. And the brown-haired Nord was dressed in fancy clothes. The other brown-haired Nord was dressed the same as her. That's when realization hit her.

"_That armor… I remember now. It's a Stormcloak uniform. That's right, a group of rebel Nords who call themselves Stormcloaks, led by Ulfric Stormcloak, the jarl of Windhelm, who killed the high king with the voice. It's a shame; the man looks so full of life. The guy wearing fancy clothes beside me must me some nobleman who happened to be to doing some bad things and got caught. That other Nord must be a thief. I can see it in his face, the face of an experienced taker of other people's belongings. Not that I really care. Sometimes you got to do what you can to survive. I don't really judge. But wait a sec… aw damn it. My stuff is gone. The bastards who knocked me out must have taken them." _She thought

"So, you're finally awake." The blond Nord said to her

She nodded a little

"You were trying to cross the border right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us and that thief over there."

"_Called it" _She nodded again, smiling on the inside at the fact that her guess was correct about the brown haired Nord.

"Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along; the empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could have stolen that horse and be halfway to Hammerfell." The brown haired Nord spat, "You there"

She was trying to figure out where in Skyrim we were when his voice caught her attention. She turned to look at him

"You and me, we shouldn't be here. It's those Stormcloaks the empire wants." He said

"We're all brothers and sisters in the binds now, thief." The blond replied

"Shut up back there" the driver snapped at us.

"_Bastard"_ She thought to myself

"What's wrong with him, huh?" The other Nord asked

"Watch your tongue. You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King!" the blond snapped at him

"_Really? This guy is Ulfric Stormcloak? Huh, looks like I might have been wrong about him. He's not so powerful if he can't prevent himself from being caught by voiceless soldiers." _She thought

"Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion. But if they've captured you… oh gods, where are they taking us?" the brunette Nord asked worried

"I don't know where we're going, but Soverngarde awaits." The blond replied

"No, this can't be happening! This isn't happening!" The brown- haired Nord started up

After a moment of silence, the blond broke the uneasy tension.

"Hey, what village are you from, horse thief?"

"Why do you care?"

"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home" the blond replied

"_Well said"_ She thought

"Rorikstead. I'm…I'm from Rorikstead." The thief replied

"_Huh… Rorikstead. That's more than a week's journey from Solitude. No wonder I never met the man." _

In the distance, she heard one of the imperial soldiers call out to the General who was on horseback.

"General Tullius, sir! The headsman is waiting!"

"Good, let's get this over with" A man's voice replied

"_Oh joy"_ She sarcastically rolled her eyes, though not speaking a word as they started entering through one of the entrances into what now she recognized as Helgen.

Soon, the horse thief began praying to the gods.

"Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, please help me" He begged up at the sky

"_Ha! As if the Divines would concern themselves with a trivial affair such as this. Besides, we were meant to one day become part of Atherius. Why not today? Of course, since he's a horse thief, he might end up in the void with the Daedra. Eh, whatever." _She inwardly shrugged.

As the cart began to turn, she could see who she believed to be General Tullius on a horse facing another horse rider, who appeared to be an Altmer elf. Whether male or female, she could not say. She was not very good at being able to distinguish gender when it came to the elves. That is unless she could visually see a female elf's breasts or her the male's voice. After that, she was clueless. Since they were not close enough, she could not hear the elf's voice. The blond nord began to speak in a harsh tone.

"Look at him, General Tullius the Military Governor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn elves. I bet they had something to do with this." He snarled

Getting a better look at the elf, she could then see the Thalmor armor they wore, confirming what Ralof had said. He had a right to snarl. The Thalmor have been causing massive trouble in Skyrim for quite a long time. And as everything went silent, except the sound of the horse trotting on the cobblestones and the cart rolling along behind, the blond nord soon began to speak more, except this time in a more nostalgic, reminiscing tone.

"This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here. Wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in. Funny, when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe." He remarked sadly

She dipped her head in silence, feeling exactly the same way as he. In Solitude, as a child, the high walls of the city and the sturdy structure of her old home would make her feel like she would be protected from any and all danger. And in Cyrodill, the Imperial City had a similar feeling to it.

As the cart continued to into the area where their last breath would be drawn, she could see the people beginning to either gather around to watch or shuffle their families into their homes, away from the future bloodshed. She heard a boy talking to his father.

"Who are they daddy? Where are they going?" the boy asked

"You need to go inside, little cub" the father replied

"Why? I want to watch the soldiers"

"Inside the house. Now" the father warned

"Yes father" the boy replied, sulking a bit.

"_Oh come now. Best let the boy see what happens when you cross the imperials. Besides, it would toughen the boy up, make him stronger. Well, that is what I believe" _she thought to herself

The carriage began to come to a stop as the imperial called to the horse with a 'whoa'. This was when the thief became more nervous as he spoke up.

"Why are we stopping?" He asked with a scared look in his eyes

"Why do you think? End of the line." The blond nord replied grimly

"_Well…this is it. At least I got to see Skyrim one last time before I die. To others, I may look like I'm simply giving up and not even trying to get out of this. And they'd be right. For there is simply no point in resisting. I'll pass on with my dignity and pride intact. How my father would want it to be." _She thought, taking a breath to calm her nerves that were involuntarily starting to shake.

"Let's go. Shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us." The blond remarked

She nodded at this, though the thief was having difficulty accepting it.

"No! Wait! We're not rebels!" The thief began to beg

"_Ha, and yet we have the leader of the rebels and one of his subordinates in our very cart. Ironic."_ She inwardly laughed

"Face your death with some courage, thief" the blond commanded

"_Please"_

"You've got to tell them! We weren't with you! This is a mistake!" the thief continued

She looked around as the thief bantered to see a bunch of imperial soldiers in different parts of the village, some holding their weapons, some standing guard. She could see a priestess near General Tullius, and by the looks of it, she was a worshiper of Kynareth. She saw the executioner over by the tower with his axe and a black hood.

"_Typical"_

The captain then called out.

"Step towards the block when we call your name. One at a time" She ordered

Behind her, she heard the blond nord sigh.

"Empire loves their damn lists." He explained when she looked over.

She looked towards what he was looking at and saw a brown-haired nord holding a quill and paper. Although she understood what he meant, she couldn't help but feel that there was something between them that was beyond one being stormcloak and one being an imperial. The brown-haired nord called out the first name.

"Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm."

As Ulfric began to walk over towards where the block had been laid, Ralof spoke.

"It has been an honor, Jarl Ulfric" He said solemnly

The nord with the list continued with the names.

"Ralof of Riverwood"

"_Ralof. So that's his name. Riverwood huh? Not too far from here"_ She thought

Ralof then started to walk in the same direction Ulfric had as the nord continued.

"Lokir of Rorikstead."

That was when things turned slightly ugly. Lokir continued to panic.

"No, I'm not a rebel! You can't do this!"

The foolish man actually thought he could escape by running away from the guards. The captain yelled in outrage.

"Halt!" She ordered

"You're not going to kill me!"

"Archers!" The captain commanded

Lokir continued to run as arrows rained down from the high buildings and pierced him left and right. He fell to the ground with a thud and did not so much twitch afterwards. She sighed

"_Fool. Did he really think that would work?"_

"Anyone else feel like running!" The captain dared

"_I do. But that little show you just put on made me rethink my plans a bit" _She laughed, her sense of humor never failing her

As she laughed to herself silently, she heard the brown-haired nord with the list call out to her.

"Wait. You there. Step forward." He commanded

She walked up to them with no slow step to trip her up. She looked at the man, not wanting to look at the woman and her cold eyes filled with venom. He looked at her with a slightly confused look.

"Who are you?" He asked in somewhat of a commanding tone.

The fact that they didn't know who she was wasn't surprising, since they knocked her out before getting any info out of her. But she was at a loss. Should she tell them who she is? Would it really matter since they were going to chop off her head? After less than a minute, she came to a conclusion.

"I am Phoenix of Solitude" She replied


	2. Escaping Helgen

After stating her name, he looked through the list one last time, then began scribbling into the book with his quill.

"You picked a bad time to come home to Skyrim, kinsman." He said gravely

"_Haha, truer words never spoken"_ She couldn't help but laugh in her thoughts.

"Captain, what do we do? She's not on the list" He asked

"Forget the list. She goes to the block." The captain replied

"By your orders, Captain" he responded

Whatever tiny sliver of hope she had of getting out of death had flicker and died after that little exchange. She sighed to herself and slightly shrugged. The soldier looked at her solemnly

"I'm sorry. At least you'll die here, in your homeland" he apologized.

"_Sorry doesn't change the fact that you'll be taking my head from my body. Well, he is right. I will die in my birth land. In my opinion though, both Cyrodill and Skyrim are my homelands."_ She thought.

"Follow the Captain, prisoner" he ordered

"_Yes sir"_ She nodded lightly without looking him in the eye.

She followed the female captain clad in steel imperial armor up to the line of prisoners. She saw General Tullius standing in front of Ulfric Stormcloak, who then started to speak.

"Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen call you a hero. But a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne."

For some odd reason, Ulfric tried to respond, despite being gagged in the mouth. The grunts that came from the man's throat made her laugh silently. The general continued.

"You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace." He said

"_Put him down? Has he become a mutt with the foaming disease?"_

At that moment, a strange sound was heard echoing through the hold. It sounded like a large bird or some sort of animal. Whatever it was, it was loud.

"_The hell was that?"_ She thought, looking in the sky for an answer.

The Nord with the list asked first

"What was that?"

However, Tullius did not seem very disturbed by it.

"It's nothing. Carry on" he commanded

"Yes General Tullius. Give them their last rites" the captain replied to the general, then ordered the priestess.

"As we commend your souls to Aetherius, blessings of the Eight Divines upon you, for you are the salt and earth of Nirn, our beloved…" she began to preach

She was then interrupted by an impatient prisoner who'd rather have his head cut off then listen to her sermon.

"For the love of Talos, shut up and let's get this over with" he replied rudely, walking over to the block.

"As you wish" she replied with venom in her words, apparently glad he was going to die.

Getting a better look at the priestess, Phoenix saw an amulet of Arkay around the woman's neck, dismissing her previous idea that she was a follower of Kynareth. Which was a shame to her, since she really only thought of Kynareth and of no other god or goddess. Ever since she was a child, she had a strange love for the sky, and everything about it. The clouds, the sun, the winds, everything that came from the sky. When she learned Kynareth's domain was the sky and the heavens, she became a follower, though not as rigorous as some will go. She did, however, keep an amulet of Kynareth on her for good luck. Not that she believed in luck. Just as a sort of protective charm.

The prisoner waited for the captain to push him onto the block, which he did not wait for patiently either.

"Come on! I haven't got all morning!" he complained.

As his head was pushed onto the block, he began to comment in a condemning tone.

"My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you say the same?"

And with that, the axe came down on the man's neck, severing his head from the rest of his body. The head fell into an empty box while the captain pushed the body off the block and let it fall to the ground, blood spewing every direction. Phoenix simply watched as people began to riot their opinions verbally.

"You Imperial bastards!" a woman screamed

"Justice" a man yelled

"Death to the Stormcloaks!" another woman yelled

Ralof, on the other hand, seemed more saddened than angry.

"As fearless in death as he was in life" he remarked

As she looked over at Ralof, she then heard the captain yell out what she dreaded most.

"Next, the Nord in the rags!" she yelled

Phoenix closed her eyes and sighed. This was it. Her last day walking the Nirn. Just as she began to take a step towards her fate, the same strange sound echoed again. This time it sounded closer than it did before. Was it heading this way? Everyone looked up, all thinking similar things. The Nord with the list commented again.

"There it is again. Did you hear that?"

The captain, impatient and uncaring of this strange sound, called out to her.

"I said, next prisoner!" she commanded

"To the block prisoner, nice and easy" the list Nord ordered gently

She took a breath and walked up to the block, looking at the list Nord as she was pushed down and her head laid onto the block. She turned her head sideways so that she may watch the sky as she was sent Aetherius. Hopefully, Kynareth will allow her the chance to roam her sky domain. And as she started to close her eyes, she saw in the background something that came behind the mountain. Something that would change her fate forever. It flew around to where she could not see it from behind the tower.

"What in Oblivion is that?!" General Tullius cried

"Sentries! What do you see?" The captain questioned.

"It's in the clouds!" one responded

Though it was pretty obvious to everyone what it was. The creature, which she instantly recognized as a dragon, flew and landed on top of the tower. The beast was black as midnight and his eyes were as red as blood. His wings had claws and he had many teeth in his dark head, all of which looked as sharp as a newly made sword.

"Dragon!" The captain screamed

The dragon sat there on the top of the tower, as the soldiers unsheathed their weapons and some began taking shots at him with their bows and arrows. As they did so, the beast performed some sort of strange form of magic. What was even stranger was that the sky turned ominous and flaming rocks began to fall from above. The headsman was killed where he stood. As the beast used more of the strange power, it flew from his jaws with a strong force.

"Don't just stand there! Kill that thing! Guards, get the townspeople to safety!" General Tullius yelled

This was when Phoenix got up, but one of the flaming rocks crashed near her, thus blurring her vision for a period of time. She then heard someone calling her.

"Hey, kinsman. Get up! Come on, the gods won't give us another chance! This way!"

She saw that it was Ralof, who was crouching near her. He started to run towards a tower. As she followed him, she look up at the sky.

"_Whatever is going on, this isn't the divine mercy of Kynareth. She would not pollute her sky realm with such darkness." _She thought to herself as she ran into the tower.

Once they got inside, Ralof shut the door behind them. She saw several people inside, including Ulfric Stormcloak who was now unbound and ungagged. She looked at her hands and realized that she needed to get herself freed.

"Jarl Ulfric! What is that thing? Could the legends be true?" Ralof asked

"Legends don't burn down villages." He replied

"_Very true"_

They heard the dragon roar, making it seem like it was getting closer.

"We need to move! Now!" Ulfric commanded

"Up through the tower, let's go!" Ralof yelled

Phoenix nodded and began to ascend the tower steps.

"We just need to move some of these rocks to clear the way!" a stormcloak soldier said

But just as she reached the top of the first flight where the blockage was, the wall suddenly burst open, sending the rocks flying, and spraying debris and dust in every direction. This caused Phoenix to stop in her tracks. And when she saw what was on the other side of the wall, she started to push Ralof, who was behind her, back as the ebony beast blew his searing flames through the hole. What was stranger to her, thought, was that she could have sworn she heard the dragon shout words as he roared. 'Yol Toor Shul' was what she heard. But she didn't have time to ponder what she heard, for they needed to figure out what to do, since the stairs are now completely blocked by a giant pile of rocks and debris. Ralof ran over to the hole in the wall and looked out.

"See the inn on the other side? Jump through the roof and keep going." He said

At that moment, she thought he was crazy. But then again, a dragon roaming the skies and burning down villages was also crazy. But now it's reality. So she took a breath, closed her eyes and jumped into the roof of the inn that is already partially destroyed. She ran over to the other side and jumped down a hole in the floor. She then ran out the door and looked to see where the dragon was. He was currently occupying himself with a different tower. She then saw the Nord who had the list and ran over to where he stood.

"Haming, you need to get over here. Now!" he called

The boy from earlier, Haming, ran over to where the imperial stood and hid behind one of the other soldiers.

"That a boy. You're doing great." He said

He then saw the dragon land close to where he stood.

"Torolf!" He yelled to get the other soldier's attention

The beast then roared those strange words again, breathing more fire at them.

"Gods…everyone get back!" the imperial commanded

After he was finished, he took off back into the sky and headed over to another tower. It was then that the imperial noticed her.

"Still alive prisoner? Keep close to me if you want to stay that way." He said

"_Well, seeing as how I'm still tied up and have no weapon to protect myself, I guess I'll do just that"_ she though a bit sarcastically

"Gunnar, take care of the boy. I have to find General Tullius and join the defense.

"Gods guide you, Hadvar" Gunnar replied

Hadvar then started to run and Phoenix began following him. As they ran down a tiny alley way, the beast landed on the roof of the building that created the alley, his wing nearly touching the ground. Before he did so, Hadvar called to her.

"Stay close to the wall!"

The dragon used the strange words again, making more fire before flying off again. Hadvar took this chance to run.

"Quickly, follow me!" He yelled

He led her through a somewhat burning building. She was starting to have a hard time breathing since there was so much smoke and dust. In the distance, she could hear one of the imperial soldier's yell.

"It won't die, it just keeps coming!"

"_Well yeah, it's a dragon. A few measly arrows is not going to kill it. Anyway, this dragon seems quite powerful."_ She thought, looking at the dragon as they ran.

The dragon then attacked a couple of soldiers as she and Hadvar ran past them. Since he blew more fire at the soldiers, she could feel herself get slightly burned. However, she bit back the pain and continued to run with Hadvar.

"It's you and me prisoner, stay close!"

The then ran over to where the keep was. It was then she saw Ralof come in the opposite direction.

"Ralof! You damned traitor! Out of my way!" he yelled

"_Traitor? So they do know one another."_

"We're escaping Hadvar. You're not stopping us this time." Ralof replied

"Fine. I hope that dragon takes you all to Soverngarde" Hadvar replied bitterly

"You! Come on, into the keep!" Ralof beckoned her

At the same time, Hadvar called to her

"With me prisoner, let's go!" He yelled

In that split second, Phoenix had to make a decision. Go with the man that belongs to the group of people who sentenced her to death, or the man belonging to the rebels. Who would she chose?


	3. Under the Keep

After thinking in that split second, she chose to go with Hadvar. She had nothing against Ralof and she was sure he would be a good friend. But since the penalty for being associated with the rebels is imprisonment or possibly death, depending on the seriousness, she decided it would be better to go with Hadvar so that she doesn't have to deal with any trouble later on. Plus, Hadvar probably understands better on what to do in a situation. She needed that to get out of their alive. She ran over to the door and burst through. Inside the keep, there were a few beds, chests, a table, some shelves and some miscellaneous things. Hadvar locked the door behind them.

"Looks like we're the only ones who made it. Was that really a dragon? The bringers of the End Times?" He asked, looking concerned

"_Well, it certainly wasn't a flying mammoth. But, I can understand your fear." _She though

"We should keep moving. Come here. Let me see if I can get those bindings off" He said

She looked at her wrists, then at him, and smiled. She held out her hands towards him. He took out an iron dagger and sheared through the ropes.

"There you go. Take a look around, there should be plenty of gear to choose from. I'm going to see if I can find something for these burns" He replied, indicating the burns on his arms.

She decided not to mention her burns since there probably wouldn't be enough to treat both her and him, and she needed him to be fit to help her get out of here.

"I can't decide if things are about to get worse or better. See if one of these chests has some armor for you. Don't worry. We'll get out of here, somehow." He said, trying to reassure her.

She walked over to the chests at the ends of two of the beds. One was empty, but the other had some gold and an Imperial helmet. She chose to forgo the helmet and just took the gold. Thankfully, Hadvar didn't see it. She always took whatever gold was lying around, because you never know when you'll need gold. However, she couldn't find any weapons. This Hadvar seemed to notice.

"Got to be a sword or two in one of these chests. Look around" He said

She nodded and began to look through the room. She found more gold on the table, which she kept. She then got a leather pouch to put the gold in. She then saw a chest at the other side of the room. It appeared to be the warden's chest, since it wasn't near the others. On top of it was an Iron Greatsword. She would have took it, but she wasn't very good at two handed weapons. Setting it to the side, she opened the chest. Inside, there was some imperial armor and boots, and an Iron Sword.

"You better get that armor on. Give that sword a few swings, too." Hadvar called

She gladly put them on, discarding the rags. She then took the sword and began swinging at a dummy, which she enjoyed greatly. Phoenix loves swords, and one-handed swords are her favorite. Which was why she then decided to take the Greatsword as well, thinking she could practice more with later on. Also, in the bottom of the chest, there was a brass key, which she decided was the key to the keep. She didn't know why, but she kept it. The keep then began to shake and rubble fell from the ceiling.

"We'd better get out of here. I don't think this place is going to stand up to much more of this. Let's keep moving. That thing is still out there."

She nodded and hurried over to the gate, where he pulled the chain, making it sink into the floor.

"Come on, this way." He called, beginning to run through the hall.

They traveled through the corridor, and it began rumble and more dust and rubble began to fall, a little getting in her eyes.

"We need to get moving! That dragon is tearing up the whole keep!"

As he pulled the chain, they heard people on the other side of the gate.

"Just give me a minute…I'm out of breath" the voice said

As the door came down, Hadvar whispered to her.

"Hear that? Stormcloaks. Maybe we can with them."

But as soon as she stepped through the doorway, the Stormcloaks began attacking her. Maybe it was because she was dressed as an imperial and did not recognize her from the execution site. Whatever the reason, Phoenix drew the iron sword from her hip and began to fight the blue armor clad Nord. Hadvar took his companion. As she fought, she held out her left hand and fire spewed from her palm. While she was not the best magic user, fire still burns people, and that is what her fire did. And she is pretty adept at fire magic, something that has always made her family wonder. Once both rebels were dead, she began to search them for anything useful.

"Let me see if I can get that door open" Hadvar said, crossing the room to the door.

Once the door was open, it led down a flight of stairs. At the bottom, it connected into a corridor. But as Phoenix began to walk down the corridor, the roar of the dragon above screeched and then boulders crashed and piled up in the corridor, blocking their way.

"_Damn it all" _she inwardly cursed

"Damn, that dragon doesn't give up easily." Hadvar cursed

He then opened a door that was to the left of them. Inside, before they could look around, were some more Stormcloak soldiers. They took care of them, but Phoenix ended up getting cut on her left arm. She healed it with magic, though it took a little bit of time since it is the most basic healing spell there is. Hadvar then noticed where they were.

"An old storeroom. See if you can find some potions. Might come in handy." He said

She nodded and began to look through the room. She finally found potions on some of the shelves, on a table, and in a barrel.

"Done then? This way"

He led them through a hallway that was met with a stairway. As they went down, Hadvar recognized where they were heading.

"The torture room. Gods, I wish we didn't need these…" he remarked

As they descended, they could hear noises coming from below.

"Hear that?"

What they heard was the sound of steel against steel and the crackling from the casting of the Sparks spell. What they saw was more Stormcloak soldiers who were fighting the torturer. Once they were finished, the torturer sheathed his weapon. He was dressed in Imperial armor and a hood that covered his eyes, which struck her as odd. Wouldn't it obstruct his vision as he tortured people?

"You fellows happened along just in time. These boys seemed a bit upset at how I've been entertaining their comrades." He remarked

Hadvar seemed confused at this.

"Don't you even know what's going on? A dragon is attacking Helgen!"

Now the torturer was confused.

"A dragon? Please. Don't make up nonsense."

But then, he took a second to think.

"Although, come to think of it, I did hear some odd noises coming from over there."

Phoenix, while they conversed, looked around. She saw a knapsack and a book on a little table. In the knapsack was some lock picks and a healing potion. She picked up the book, which was called 'The Book of the Dragonborn', but then set it down. But for some strange reason, it made her very curious. As if she was meant to read it. But she knew she did have time for that. She then saw the torturer's assistant in a large cage with a counter on the inside. He seemed to be unfazed by all of this. She then walked over to the torture cages. She saw a dead man in one of them. Hadvar, meanwhile, was trying to get the torturer to come with them.

"Come with us. We need to get out of here."

"You have no authority over me, boy" the torturer replied sharply

"Didn't you hear me? I said the keep is under attack!" he replied frantically

This was when the torturer's assistant spoke up.

"Forget the old man. I'll come with you."

As he said this, Hadvar looked at something with interest

"Wait a second. Looks like there's something in this cage" he said, walking up to the cage with the dead man.

"Don't bother with that. Lost the key ages ago. Poor fellow screamed for weeks." The torturer replied, a little bit pleased with himself

Hadvar looked over at Phoenix.

"See if you can get it open with some picks. We'll need everything we can get."

She nodded at this. While she was not the best lock picker, she understood the basics. And the lock to the door of the cage itself seemed basic. She took out one of the lock picks that she got from the knapsack and tried to open the cage. The pick then broke. She tried again, and this time was more successful, and the cage door flew open.

"Grab what you can and let's go" Hadvar called

She picked up what was on the floor first, which was some gold pieces, a minor magicka potion, and a book. The book was a spell tome, which happened to be for the spell Sparks. She tucked it away, making a mental note to read it later, for the spell would come in handy. She knew that she could probably find this tome anywhere, but then she'd have to pay for it. This one was just sitting there. And the dead man, dressed in mage clothing, certainly wasn't going to be needing it. She then did a quick search of the dead man, who had on him some gold and some more magicka potions.

She then did something that Hadvar did not expect. She stuck her hands out and closed them like she was grabbing onto bars. She pulled and the next thing he knew, she had opened up a strange magic portal. But the portal wasn't for traveling. Inside was at least five shelves, as if she was carrying a large, invisible shelf wherever she went. She placed her findings inside, as well as the Dragonborn book, which she made up her mind to take, and then closed the doors shut, and the portal disappeared. When she saw he was staring at her, she mentally cursed herself for not simply taking the knapsack to carry the stuff.

"How did you do that?!" Hadvar asked incredulously

Just as he asked, the ceiling began to rumble more and dust flew off.

"Perhaps you can save this little conversation for a later date." The torturer commented

Hadvar looked up, at her, then at him and nodded. He began to lead the way through the corridor with cells.

"There's no way out that way, you know…" The torturer commented

"Better down here than out there" Hadvar replied

As the descended, Phoenix saw cages hanging from the ceiling with bodies in them, some with skeletons in them. Stormcloak bodies. As much as she didn't like how they keep attacking her, she did feel sorry for how they have been treated. She did a quick search of the bodies then continued with Hadvar, who had hurried over to what they found was a giant tunnel in the wall.

"This way. Don't worry. We'll get out of here, somehow" Hadvar said

"_Very reassuring"_ Phoenix thought sarcastically

She stared into the tunnel, not sure what to make of it. Why was it there in the first place? Didn't the torturer say there was no way out this way? Did he lie? If so, why? Whatever the reason, she stood at the entrance of the tunnel. She gripped her sword and took a breath. She looked over at Hadvar, nodded, and they took off, along with the assistant, down the tunnel.


	4. Getting to Riverwood

They traveled through the tunnel, which was lit by fire sconces. As the pressed forward, Hadvar was starting to get impatient.

"Where in Oblivion are we supposed to go? Where's the way out?"

Just as he said that, they reached the entrance to a cave that included bridges. She then saw that there were more Stormcloak soldiers. She went ahead and charged for the first one who was crossing the bridge. After fighting with him, she carried onto a woman soldier, while Hadvar took care of the other two. One of whom was using a bow to try and kill them with arrows. Then, just as two more came in, she saw the colorful gleam of oil on the floor. She then cast her fire magic at the oil-slicked ground. The fire burst into a giant blaze, traveling straight at the men, burning them alive as finished them off. After the fight, she then realized that she had no idea where the torturer's assistant went. After scanning the area, she saw him at the entrance in which they came from.

"I better stay back and see to the old man. Good luck to you two."

She nodded and he took off into the tunnel. Hadvar came up the steps near her.

"Alright, let's see if we can find a way out" he said

She looked around and saw a bridge that was pulled up. She also saw the lever to it. After pulling it, the bridge came down with a bang. Once across, they came into a less renovated part of the cave. There was a hole in the ceiling, letting out light from above. Just then, they felt the ground rumble and shake and then heard a crash. The sound of rocks falling onto one another. She looked back through where she came from and saw the mess.

"No going back that way now. We'd better push on. The rest of them will have to find another way out." Hadvar mentioned

After looking at pile for a few seconds, she continued onward deeper into the cave, getting a quick look into the light before going on. They came up to a block in the tunnel and a branch tunnel connecting to it. She then saw a skeleton on the big rock, along with a bag of gold and a lantern. She swiped the gold before Hadvar came running up behind her.

"_What he doesn't know won't kill him."_ She thought

Hadvar then looked at the block in the tunnel, thinking for a moment.

"Hmm. That doesn't go anywhere. I guess we'd better try this way." Hadvar said, indicating the other route.

She went a few steps ahead of him down the other part of the tunnel. But as they came up to another cave, she saw tons of spider webs congesting the cave. She then sighed to herself.

"_Damn it all. Do I really have to deal with Frostbite Spiders now of all times? They're the last thing I need right now."_

She then saw one of the spiders, a somewhat grown spider, hanging from a silk thread. She quietly alerted Hadvar. She took a breath and charged. She slashed at the two weakest first, two baby spiders, and killed them before taking their bigger siblings. Hadvar assisted with the bigger ones, but she really had it all under control. After slaying the last of them. She got to work harvesting their venom. For Frostbite Spider venom can drain health and stamina for a period of time. It even had a cooling effect, meaning that those hit by the venom would feel really cold. After pocketing the venom, they continued onward. They came into another cave with a waterfall and stream. There was a little stone bridge that she crossed and she continued down into the cave. But then, Hadvar came and whispered to her.

"Hold up. There's a bear just ahead. See her?"

Phoenix looked to where he was pointing, and indeed, there was a brown grizzly bear sleeping the in light streaming from above.

"I'd rather not tangle with her right now. Let's try to sneak by. Just take it nice and slow, and watch your step. Or if you're feeling lucky, you can take this bow. Might take her by surprise. Go ahead. I'll follow your lead and watch your back" Hadvar said

He handed her a wood long bow and a quiver of iron arrows. She strapped the quiver to her back and held the bow. She took an arrow and notched it. Staring at her target, she counted to three at least twice before putting the arrow back with the others and slinging the bow around her. She just didn't feel like killing the creature. With the spiders, it was a different story. They're spiders. Big, hairy, poisonous spiders that were attacking them the second they came into the cave. But this bear is mind her own business, sleeping peacefully. The only times Phoenix killed animals is when they attack her and when she is hungry. But right now, getting out of the cave was most important. And trying to fight a bear is not on the priorities list. So she began to creep past the bear. She heard the creature shift a bit and Phoenix froze, holding in her breath. When the bear didn't stir, she continued to creep over to the other side of the cave.

"Almost there" Hadvar whispered

Once they reached the other side, they both sighed with relief.

"Whew. That was close" Hadvar said

"_Yeah. I really thought the girl was going to wake up. If she did, today would be even more terrible than it already is. Well, let's just hope there is nothing else waiting for us." _Phoenix thought

They continued down another tunnel. Once they reached another fire sconce, they could see light up ahead.

"That looks like the way out! I knew we'd make it!" Hadvar exclaimed

Both she and Hadvar then ran straight for the cave entrance that led to the outside. Once out, they both took in breaths of fresh air. Then all of a sudden, Hadvar rushed over to a boulder.

"Wait!" He called

He ducked behind a boulder, and Phoenix hid behind him. She then saw the dragon flap over them and fly straight for the mountain area. Hadvar got up.

"Looks like he's gone for good this time. But I don't think we should stick around to see if he comes back." Hadvar said, laughing a little, "Closest town from here is Riverwood. My uncle's the blacksmith there. I'm sure he'd help you out."

As they continued down the road, Hadvar looked over at her.

"It's probably best if we split up. Good luck. I wouldn't have made it without your help today."

"_Is he serious? If we're heading to the same place, then why on Nirn should we split up? Men. You can never understand them. Ah well, I'll just follow him."_

After some time of following him, he seemed to get the memo that she was sticking around, at least until they got to Riverwood. He then spoke up.

"Listen, you should go to Solitude and join up with the Imperial Legion. We could really use someone like you. And if the rebels have themselves a dragon, General Tullius is the only one who can stop them."

"_Ha! As if I would join the very group that was going to kill me. Plus, I am not someone to be used, especially for a stupid war like this. Thanks for the offer, but no. Plus, I doubt the rebels have a dragon since I saw it kill one of the Stormcloaks himself"_ She mentally laughed

They continued down the road. They made it to a three-way intersection, with Hadvar taking the route on the right. Then, as they walked down the road, Hadvar stopped and pointed toward one of the mountains. There, she could clearly see distinctive ancient Nordic ruins.

"See that ruin up there? Bleak Falls Barrow. When I was a boy, that place always used to give me nightmares. Draugr creeping down the mountain to climb through my window at night, that kind of thing. I admit, I still don't much like the look of it." He admitted

"_Wimp"_ she thought

The road continued to twist and turn, with them reaching three oddly crafted stones that she had never seen before. One had the constellation of a warrior on it, one with the constellation of a mage, and one with a crouching thief.

"These are the Guardian stones, three of the thirteen ancient standing stones that dot Skyrim's landscape. Go ahead, see for yourself." He indicated the stones

She walked over to them and inspected each one. Which one should she choose? The warrior stone, the mage stone, or the thief stone? She decided to think about it real quick. She eliminated the warrior stone, because she wanted to master weapons with her own strength, and not by blessings and cheating. She eliminated the thief stone, since she was never going to be a thief unless for some reason she needs to be one. So, all that was left was the mage stone. She pressed her hand to the stone, and it lit up. It sent a ray of light shooting from the hole and into the sky. Hadvar spoke up.

"Mage, eh? Well, to each his own. It's not for me to judge." He said

She looked over at him and smiled, causing him to cough and continue ahead of her, not letting the slight redness of his face be seen by her. They continued, and as they walked, he thought about something.

"Listen, as far as I'm concerned you already earned your pardon. But until we get that confirmed by General Tullius, just stay clear of other imperial soldiers and avoid any complications, all right?" He told her

She nodded and kept walking. Just as Hadvar had finished his sentence, two wolfs came and attacked them. Phoenix took care of them in front defense while Hadvar shot them with arrows. Once dead, she kicked the wolf's bodies down into the water below. After a few more minutes of silent travel, Hadvar spoke again.

"I'm glad you decided to come with me. We're almost to Riverwood." He said

She couldn't help but smile at the kind words he presented her. She then knew her choice was not unfounded. Just a few more minutes, and she could then see the gate entrance into Riverwood, with a guard patrolling over the gate. She ran over to the gate and stood in the entrance way. She looked out into the town that would lead her on the course of her destiny. A destiny she knew nothing of yet.


	5. Sending for Assistance

Hadvar walked up to the entrance gate where Phoenix stood. He continued onward, prompting her to follow. He looked around, seeking any signs of distress.

"Things look quiet enough here. Come on. There's my uncle" He said, heading over to where the house of the blacksmith stood.

The town of Riverwood, as he said, seemed like a very quiet and peaceful place. Although Solitude had a much homier feel to her, this village came in second as a place she wouldn't mind living in in Skyrim. There were 3 houses, a general goods store, a blacksmith, an inn/tavern, and a lumber mill. She could see a chicken or two roaming around. And there was a child with his dog, though the dog seemed to mind his own business and did not pay much attention to the child. She could see a few more guards on the other side of the village, patrolling another entrance gate, while one or two surveyed the area by walking around. Hadvar went into the forge to greet his uncle.

"Uncle Alvor! Hello!" he called

His uncle looked up from his work with a surprised expression. He then stood up quickly, setting what he was working on down. He didn't seem angry by his nephew's appearance, but just very confused and surprised by the sudden visit.

"Hadvar? What are you doing here? Are you on leave from…" he asked surprised, but then he saw the state in which his nephew was in and said, "Shor's bones, what happened to you, boy? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Shh…Uncle, please. Keep your voice down. I'm fine. But we should go inside to talk" he said, trying to get his uncle to keep quiet.

"What's going on? And who's this?" he asked, looking at Phoenix

"She's a friend. Saved my life in fact. Come on, I'll explain everything, but we need to go inside." He said

"Okay, okay. Come inside, then. Sigrid will get you something to eat and you can tell me all about it." He replied

As they headed inside, Phoenix heard an old woman yelling. What she said caught Phoenix's attention.

"A dragon! I saw a dragon!" She screamed

"_What?! When did she see it? Is it getting closer to here faster than we thought it would?"_ Phoenix worried

A man who appeared to be her son called to her.

"What? What is it now mother?" He asked, somewhat tired

"It was as big as the mountain, and black as night. It flew right over the barrow." She explained

"_Black as night, I will agree. But as big as the mountain is a bit of an overstatement."_ She thought

"Dragons, now, is it? Please, mother. If you keep on like this everyone in town will think you're crazy. And I've got better things to do than listen to more of your fantasies." The son sighed

"_Disrespectful brat. I always believed the words of my mother and father. And so should every child brought to this world_" Phoenix thought with disgust towards the man

"You'll see! It was a dragon! It'll kill us all and then you'll believe me!" she yelled

That made her laugh a little. If the dragon came to kill them all, then he would not need to believe her, cause then they would be dead. She headed inside the house of the blacksmith, still a little worried about what the old woman said. She said it flew right over the barrow. If so, then the dragon really was getting closer to Riverwood. How long before it would attack? They had to do something, and fast.

Alvor got seated when inside and called to his wife.

"Sigrid! We have company!"

She then saw his wife, Sigrid, and their child come upstairs. Sigrid saw Hadvar and was just as surprised as Alvor had been.

"Hadvar! We've been so worried about you! Come, you two must be hungry. Sit down and I'll get you something to eat." She said

Once seated, Alvor began with the questions.

"Now, then, boy. What's the big mystery? What are you doing here, looking like you lost an argument with a cave bear?" he asked

Phoenix quietly snorted at the irony of his joke, which Hadvar noticed and smiled just a little. But then he got back to seriousness.

"I don't know where to start. You know I was assigned to General Tullius's guard. We were stopped in Helgen when we were attacked…by a dragon" he said, a little unsure of how Alvor would take the news.

"A dragon? That's…ridiculous. You aren't drunk, are you boy?" he asked

"_Ah yes, always check to see if they are sober before believing wild stories."_ Phoenix thought, slightly amused

"Husband. Let him tell his story" Sigrid lightly scolded

"Not much more to tell. This dragon flew over and just wrecked the whole place. Mass confusion. I don't know if anyone else got out alive. I doubt I'd have made it out myself if it not for my friend here." He said, indicating Phoenix.

This little gesture made Phoenix feel warmth inside. She always loved making new friends. Even though the circumstances of this new friendship are somewhat to be desired, she liked being able to call someone a friend. Plus, friends are very useful when needed the most. While Sigrid had offered mead to drink, Phoenix sipped on water. She never really liked mead in the first place. Phoenix quietly ate a few bites of stew that Sigrid had put out while Hadvar continued.

"I need to get back to Solitude and let them know what's happened. I thought you could help us out. Food, supplies, a place to stay." He said

"Of course! Any friend of Hadvar's is a friend of mine. I'm glad to help however I can." He replied, looking over at Phoenix with a smile, which she returned.

The three quietly ate at the stew for about fifteen minutes. Afterwards, as Sigrid was collecting the bowls and utensils, Alvor looked over at Phoenix.

"Like I said, I'm glad to help in any way I can. But I need your help. We need your help." He said

She nodded and indicated for him to go on.

"The Jarl needs to know if there's a dragon on the loose. Riverwood is defenseless…We need to get word to Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun to send whatever soldiers he can. If you'll do that for me, I'll be in your debt." He said

She nodded at this. But then, she suddenly had questions. She finally decided to speak after not uttering word since Helgen.

"How do I get to Whiterun from here?" She asked

"Cross the river and then head north. You'll see it, just past the falls. When you get to Whiterun just keep going up. When you get to the top of the hill, you're at Dragonsreach, the Jarl's palace." He replied

She nodded, then continued. She decided to get a bit of information about Riverwood first.

"What can you tell me about Riverwood?" She asked

"Gerdur's family first settled here as wood cutters a few generations ago. She and Hod run the mill. I make a decent living sharpening axes and fixing the sawmill." He replied

She then thought about the Jarl. What if he was a harsh and difficult man? What if he was hard to convince about the dragon?

"What can you tell me about the Jarl?" She asked

"Jarl Balgruuf? He rules Whiterun Hold. A good man, perhaps a bit over-cautious, but these are dangerous times. So far he's managed to stay out of the war. I'm afraid it can't last, though." He replied

"Which side in the war does he favor?" She replied, not caring about the legionnaire sitting across from her

"I don't think he likes either Ulfric or Elisif much. Who can blame him? But I've no doubt he'll prove loyal to the Empire in the end. He's no traitor." He replied, nodding towards Hadvar, who nodded back

"You support the Empire, then?" She asked

Although it was a silly question, Alvor answered nonetheless.

"Of course. Skyrim has always been part of the Empire. That doesn't mean I support everything the Empire's been doing lately, but Nords have never been fair-weather friends." he replied

After a moment of thinking, she then thought of something that confused her.

"Who's Elisif?" She asked

"Ah, I forget you're new to Skyrim. Jarl Elisif, I should say, although only because she was married to Jarl Torryg when he was murdered. Ulfric murdered Torygg, you know. Walked right into his palace in Solitude and killed him. Shouted him to death, if you believe the stories. That's what started this whole war. The Empire couldn't ignore that. Once the jarls start killing each other, we're back to the bad old days." He replied

"What do you think about the war?" She asked

"People are rightly stirred up about the damn Thalmor being allowed to roam around arresting people, just for worshipping Talos. But was it worth tearing Skyrim apart, and maybe destroying the Empire? No, Ulfric will have a lot to answer for in the end. Nords have always supported the Empire, and the Empire has always been good for Skyrim. I just hope the war doesn't come to Riverwood. There's enough trouble in the world without those Stormcloaks stirring up more." Alvor said

Hadvar, listening to them discuss, could not help but admire Phoenix's interest in the discussion of the war. Although he was not certain which side she was on, he felt that she cared enough about Skyrim and its people if she wanted to hear the opinions of strangers. Listening to them go on as he munched on a half loaf of bread, Phoenix continued with her inquiries.

"Why are the Thalmor allowed to arrest people for worshipping Talos?" She thought, thinking it strange that the elves could arrest people just because of their beliefs.

"It's from that treaty that ended the Great War, remember, when the Emperor was forced by the Thalmor to outlaw Talos worship. We didn't pay much attention to it when I was a boy - everyone still had their little shrine to Talos. But then Ulfric and his "Sons of Skyrim" started agitating about it, and sure enough the Emperor had to crack down. Dragging people off in the middle of the night... one of the main causes of this war, if you ask me." He replied

She nodded once more, then stood up. She pushed in the chair in which she once sat and looked to Alvor.

"Well, I've decided to head to Whiterun now." She said

"Now? Don't you wish to rest first? I'm sure the dragon won't attack this very instant. Plus, after what you and I have been through, we need some time to rest and prepare." Hadvar said, surprised she wanted to set out straight away.

She shook her head and pointed to the light shining from outside, which looked like it was starting to dimmer.

"I'd rather get moving before dark. Besides, from what I've read about dragons, they are unpredictable. I'd rather head out as soon as possible. The quicker we get more men to defend the village, the better chances of survival the people here have. I do not want to take any chances." She said

Alvor seemed somewhat moved by Phoenix. She seemed care about others more than herself. Which is a rare quality that most Nordic people, or people in general, do not generally possess. He looked over to his wife and his daughter, Dorthe. The idea of them in anyway hurt made him shudder. She was right. Jarl Balgruuf needed to know as soon as possible. Phoenix looked over to him.

"Do you have any supplies I can take? I won't need much. Just a few things to tide me over during the trip there, since I plan to walk." She asked politely.

"Help yourself to whatever you need, within reason." He nodded

Sigrid handed her a knapsack and Phoenix placed inside some bread, some cheese, a few apples, a lock pick, some healing potions, and a belted tunic that Sigrid said she could not wear anymore and that Phoenix is much thinner than she. She placed a dagger insider her boot and strapped it around her thigh in case it was needed. Alvor marveled at how she did not take advantage of his generosity and take everything she felt like. She certainly knew how to respect her elders.

Getting a good look at her, she had hair black as midnight that framed her head in an almost perfect circle and was styled where it hung an inch above her shoulders and the splitting of the hair was concentrating on right side of her head. There was a lock of hair that somewhat swayed differently from the rest of the hair, but she didn't seem to notice it. Her eyes were as green as the Pine Forest, her skin was as pale as the moon and she had full lips that any woman would be jealous of. She was very thin, but she seemed to have some muscle on her. Alvor thought how lucky Hadvar would be to end up with a beauty like her.

Phoenix strapped back on her bow and placed her quiver of arrows inside the knapsack, with it sticking out so that she can reach for an arrow when needed. But before she put her sword at her hip, she examined it. She then looked at Alvor.

"Can I use your forge?" she asked

"I see no harm in it, if you have the skill. The grindstone will improve your weapons. Use the table to improve your armor. If you've got the raw materials, you can use the forge to make something new." He replied with a smile

She nodded, thanked everyone, gave Hadvar a farewell handshake and went out to the forge. Hadvar looked at his hand, and then at the door. Alvor silently snickered and patted him on the shoulder. Phoenix, while in Alvor's forge, picked up an iron ingot and went to the grindstone. After some sharpening and repairing, she sheathed her sword. Stepping down onto the road, she headed up to the entrance gate on the other side of the village. She saw the bridge that crossed over the river. She looked back at the village, feeling somewhat sad about leaving. It felt nice being there. But then she remembered she had a job to do. And with that, she turned towards the bridge and set off.


	6. Bleak Falls Barrow

**Just to let everyone know, I did not make up Phoenix's appearance from imagination. I looked at the different hairstyles and other features that the game offers. She'll get war paint later on in the story, because I felt that her wearing war paint in the beginning of the story was a little silly. But the war paint she'll have will be purple and on her right cheek. It will be the one where it looks like a pointed wishbone with a swirl inside it. If you know what it is, good for you. If you don't, look it up. Now, on with the story.**

After crossing the bridge, she saw a sign that had many locations on it. The one she was looking for, Whiterun, was pointing towards the path on the right. While curious as to where the left path took, she knew she had to stay focused and took the right path. She continued onward, making sure she could see the river in case she somehow got lost. Though after a couple of minutes, a wolf attacked her. She took care of him, no problem, but she still hated the fact that he got the jump on her. She would have to learn to sense danger better. Pretty soon, the road took her to where she could easily see Whiterun from where she stood. It was a beautiful scene. She saw farms and a mill, the famous Honningbrew Meadery, and she could spot a few guards patrolling the perimeter. She got down onto the level ground part of the road and started to pick up her pace, wanting to get there faster now that her goal was in sight. However, she was met with some conflict. At one of the farms, she saw a giant fighting three people. One man and two women. Phoenix, through instinct, pulled out her and charged for the massive brute. Once the quartet took down the giant, Phoenix sheathed her sword as was about to leave, but then one of the women stopped her.

"You handle yourself well. You could make for a decent Shield-Sister." She commented

"What is a Shield-Sister?" she asked

"An outsider, eh? Never heard of the Companions?" She asked

"I'm not an outsider. I don't know why people assume so. I am nord through and through. I just was somehow born with black hair. I used to live in Skyrim until my family moved me to Cyrodill when I was a child. And yes, I've heard of the Companions, I just don't know exactly who they are. Mind explaining?" She replied

"An order of warriors. We are brothers and sisters in honor. And we show up to solve any problems if the coin is good enough." She explained

"_So basically you are mercenaries with honorable intentions. Though if I say that allowed, they won't take to me kindly. Still, they are brave to take on a giant by themselves. Giants are hard creatures to take down, even if you are a master in your fighting skill. Perhaps they would be good people to be a part of. Plus, that big guy knows his way around a two-handed sword. Fighting with him would be fun." _She thought

"Can I join you?" She asked

"Not for me to say. You'll have to talk to Kodlak Whitemane up in Jorrvaskr. The old man's got a good sense for people. He can look in your eyes and tell your worth. If you go to him, good luck" She said with a nod.

Looking at her two companions, then at her, she nodded farewell to them and took off for the entrance of Whiterun. There, she was stopped by a guard.

"Halt! City's closed with the dragons about. Official business only." He said

"_So they already know about the dragons. This should make things a little easier." _She thought

"Riverwood calls for the Jarl's aid" she replied

"Riverwood's in danger, too? You'd better go on in. You'll find the Jarl in Dragonsreach, at the top of the hill." He said

With that, he let her pass. Once inside, she flew through the market, up some stairs, past a giant tree, and up more stairs, finally reaching Dragonsreach. As she approached the Jarl, her elf housecarl approached with her sword drawn, her face serious.

"What's the meaning of this interruption? Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors." She warned

"I have news from Helgen. About the dragon attack." She replied

"Well, that explains why the guards let you in. Come on then, the Jarl will want to speak to you personally" She said, sheathing her weapon.

The elf led Phoenix to the Jarl, who had been discussing something avidly with his assistant. When he saw her, he stopped his argument and started to speak to her.

"So. You were at Helgen? You saw this dragon with your own eyes?" He asked

She decided not to mention how she was to be executed. He would just assume she was a Stormcloak criminal or whatever, and she needed him not to judge her right now.

"The dragon destroyed Helgen. And last I saw it was heading this way." She replied

"By Ysmir, Irileth was right! What do you say now, Proventus? Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?" He challenged his subordinate.

"My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once. It's in the most immediate danger, if that dragon is still lurking in the mountains…" Irileth spoke up

As she spoke, Proventus spoke against it.

"The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation! He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him. We should not…"

"Enough!" Jarl Balgruuf stopped him, "I'll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people! Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once." He commanded

"Yes, my Jarl"

"If you'll excuse me, I'll return to my duties." Proventus said

"That would be best" he said, then looked at Phoenix as Proventus walked off, "Well done. You sought me out, on your own initiative. You've done Whiterun a service, and I won't forget it. Here, take this as a small token of my esteem." He said, motioning a maid to come forth

She handed Phoenix a set of steel armor. Before letting her put it on, he continued speaking.

"There is another thing you could do for me. Suitable for someone of your particular talents, perhaps. Come, let's find Farengar, my court wizard. He's been looking into a matter related to these dragons and…rumors of dragons" he said

With that, he got up and she followed him into a room cluttered with magical and miscellaneous things, as well as a map of Skyrim.

"Farengar is probably puttering around in his lab. Day and night. I'm not sure he ever sleeps." The Jarl commented

In the room stood a man with blue mage robes on, his hood up to where you can't see his full face. The Jarl walked up to the table.

"Farengar, I think I've found someone who can help you with your dragon project. Go ahead and fill her in with all the details." He said

"So the Jarl thinks you can be of use to me? Oh yes, he must be referring to my research into the dragons. Yes, I could use someone to fetch something for me. Well, when I say fetch, I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not actually be there."

"_Well, he's very to the point. But at times like this, it's better not to sugar-coat things. I'm glad that he's honest with me. Like my father always said, 'It is better not go blindly into battle without know what your objective is'"_ She thought

"What does this have to do with the dragons?" She asked

"Ah, no mere brute mercenary, but a thinker - perhaps even a scholar? You see, when the stories of dragons began to circulate, many dismissed them as mere fantasies, rumors. Impossibilities. One sure mark of a fool is to dismiss anything that falls outside his experience as being impossible. But I began to search for information about dragons - where had they gone all those years ago? And where were they coming from?" He replied

"So what do you need me to do?"

"I, ah, learned of a certain stone tablet said to be housed in Bleak Falls Barrow- a 'Dragonstone', said to contain a map of dragon burial sites. Go to Bleak Falls Barrow, find this tablet - no doubt interred in the main chamber - and bring it to me. Simplicity itself." He explained

"Anything you can tell me about Bleak Falls Barrow?" She asked

"An old tomb, built by the ancient Nords, perhaps dating back to the Dragon War itself. Ah. Maybe you just want to know how to get there. It's near Riverwood, a miserable little village a few miles south of here. I'm sure some of the locals can point you in the right direction once you get there."

"How do you know this stone tablet is in Bleak Fall Barrow?" She asked, ignoring the 'miserable little village' comment

"Well. Must preserve some professional secrets, mustn't we? I have my sources…reliable sources." He answered

She nodded at this. Balgruuf then spoke up.

"This is a priority now. Anything we can use to fight this dragon, or dragons. We need it, quickly. Before it's too late." He said

"Of course, Jarl Balgruuf. You seem to have found me an able assistant. I'm sure he/she will prove most useful." Farengar replied

Balgruuf then looked over to Phoenix.

"Succeed at this, and you'll be rewarded. Whiterun will be in your debt." He said

She nodded seriously at him. She then asked one of the maids to take her knapsack and have it stocked for a three to four day journey. The Jarl nodded his consent when the maid looked over to him. As she waited, Phoenix admired the palace's structure and design. She then saw the dragon skull that hung above the Jarl's throne. If she had the time, she would ask Balgruuf where it came from. The maid soon came back with a full knapsack, which felt heavy to Phoenix. She wished she could use her magic, but she didn't want everyone else to see. What happened with Hadvar was a lapse of judgment since they were trying to hurry. Now, she knew better. Once she got to the tomb, she would put her knapsack inside along with the stuff she collected in Helgen. But for now, she had to get going. Bowing to the Jarl, she headed down the steps and outside. After navigating her way out of Whiterun, she headed back down the same road she came from. Which seemed tedious. She soon returned to Riverwood, where she asked Alvor how to get to Bleak Falls Barrow. To her surprise, she learned she simply has to take the left road once she crosses the bridge. She does this and ends up finding a bandit camp. Once taking care of the bandits and a quick looting, she exits the camp on the other side and follows a path that is starting to become covered with snow. The weather was becoming colder by the second, but it didn't seem to bother her. (Lol, Frozen reference) She could see the temple up ahead. But because of this sense of uneasiness in her, she drew her sword and held it at her side. And then, she reached the steps leading up into the temple.

"_Well, here we go." _She though


End file.
